The first step to producing a high quality, high yielding forage product, such as alfalfa, is good management of the soil preparation, planting and growing process, and timely harvesting. Soil preparation includes proper soil testing and fertilization. Phosphorous and potassium must be adequate to establish and maintain a forage crop. Lime applications are important for new seeding. Other important nutrients needed to foster healthy stands are nitrogen, magnesium, molybdenum, manganese, copper, etc.
Planting includes the proper selection of seed. New seed varieties have been increasing at an even greater pace. Many seed varieties address the specific needs of the environment in which they are to be used. Selection of seed varieties is often based on the following factors:
* Drainage conditions PA1 * Soil Fertility PA1 * pH level in the soil PA1 * Winter hardiness PA1 * Pest resistance PA1 * Yield potential PA1 * Disease resistance PA1 * Leaf to stem ratio PA1 * Establishment and recovery time
The quality of seed used is also important. Factors such as percent of germination, percent of purity, percent of weed seed and whether or not preinoculated seed should be used, are, typically, considered.
Good soil and seed will not compensate for lack of good crop management techniques. When to seed, how to seed, and at what rate to seed, are all important in the establishment and recovery of a forage crop. Also, the number and timing of harvests directly affect the quantity and quality of the yields. For example, fields cut early nearly always result in more harvests per growing season and higher yields per growing season.
Environmental issues must also be addressed when growing forage crops. For example, the yield of forage crops will, typically, vary according to the amount of moisture received. In the case of alfalfa, four to five inches of rain are required to produce one ton per acre. Moreover, the greater the growing season, the greater the opportunity for multiple harvests.
The above are only some of the factors involved in growing high quality, high yielding forage crops. Unfortunately, even if the grower makes all the right decisions regarding the above factors and produces a high quality and high yielding crop, there is no assurance that, with existing harvesting techniques, he will be able to maintain the crop quality during harvesting and storage. There are two major reasons for this.
First, in order for forage crops to be handled, stored and shipped economically, they must be compressed into a bale form. To be stored in bale form, the harvested crop must be dried, typically in the 12% to 14% range, or treated with expensive and difficult to manage chemicals which allow storing of the crop in bale form (baling) at much higher moisture levels; e.g., 30%. Drying is typically done in the field by natural means, i.e., exposure to the sun and wind. The drying process may be aided by mechanical conditioning or crimping wherein the stalks are shredded to expose more surface area of the stalk. Typically, forage crops are cut and crimped and left to dry in windrows. They are then raked and baled. Because of the low moisture level required for baling, a substantial portion of the leaves, referred to as dry matter, are lost in the field during the drying process and/or when baling. One study has shown dry matter loss to range from 16.9% to 23.4%, depending on the type of bale made.
Second, the occurrence of rain at the time when the crop should be cut or during the field drying process, can reduce the harvest yield. The field drying process typically requires two or more days after cutting the crop and prior to baling. The probability of having two good drying days in a row was shown in one study to be 33 or 34 in 100 days. Dry matter losses due to rain during the field drying process, in one study was 23.5% to 50% depending on how heavy the rainfall.
Attempts have been made in the past to design and construct apparatus for drying and baling forage crops in the field to eliminate the problems caused by field drying under natural conditions. For example, the following patents disclose various apparatus for use in drying, and in some instances baling, various crops including forage crops. U.S. Pat. No. 1,848,343 to Good, dated Mar. 8, 1932, discloses an apparatus for drying crops such as coconut. U.S. Pat. No. 2,756,554 to Diehl et al., dated July 31, 1956, discloses a transportable forage gatherer and dryer. U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,337 to Rezabek, dated Sept. 17, 1957, discloses a transportable field hay dryer. U.S. Pat. No. 3,257,785 to Rimes, dated June 28, 1966 discloses a transportable crop handling apparatus that includes structure for drying the crops. U.S. Pat. No. 3,512,765 to Van Der Lely, dated May 19, 1970, discloses a transportable crop drying system. U.S. Pat. No. 4,912,914 to Wingard, discloses a method and apparatus for drying forage crops utilizing induction jacket rollers.
The various forage crop dryer and baler apparatus disclosed in the above-noted patents, as well as other crop harvester apparatus with similar crop dryer and baler features, have not generally been well received by the agricultural community. While the general idea of providing an apparatus for drying, and possibly baling, forage crops in the field has been known for sometime, as evidenced by the patents cited above, apparently no apparatus has been commercially successful up to this point. It is believed that the reason for the lack of success with the previous apparatus is that the apparatus have not proven very practical in operation.
Once the crops have been harvested and packaged for storage and/or transport, some problems that have arisen in the past include that the crops are sometimes difficult to transport and that the quality of the crops decreases fairly quickly during transport and storage. The result is that a significant amount of the crops are being wasted before the crops can be used or before the crops reach their final destinations. These problems are caused by a variety of sources including bulky and/or inefficient packaging, insects within the crops, and excess moisture. It is clear that there is a significant need in the world for more efficient distribution and longer term storage capability for harvested crops.
The present invention solves these and other problems which exist with existing harvesting techniques so as to improve the quality of one's harvest and does so in a manner which is believed to be commercially practicable.